The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1887-03-12
BARTHoLDi.
The Great Artists Home and Studio I'm


A two-story house, n very severe,
somber style of brick and stone trim
mings, situated in one of the small side
streets leading into the Boulevard
Montparnasse, that classical artery
where so many artists of every kind
move and have their being. was built
some years ago by Nj. Bartholdi, the
sculptor of the statue of Liberty, and
has been his home and studio ever
since. From the exterior it looks
gloomy and prison-like. and in the in
terror the aspect does not change until
You reach small back garden, which,
with its flowers. planJs, and statuettes,
present cheerful appearance in the
rear of the house On crossing the
court door. one is at once struck with
what seems TO have been for years the
predominating thought and occupation
of the inmate, for there on one side lies
the index of the immense right hand of
the statue of Liberty, and n small model
of the whole statue on the other. Pass
ing the porter's lodge, which, like all
other parts of the house, is built in the
medieval style of carved wood balconies
and inside staircases one enters into
quaint vestibule of stained glass, Pom
peiian mural paintings. and wide glass
door looking out into the small garden.
The chief quaint attraction here is an
immense stuffed stork. like Poe's raven,
perched over the door. just as you see
them at twilight settle down for the
night on the domes of the cathedral at
SIrasburg. 1t is. of course. known TO
all that Bartholdi is an Alsatian. This
vestibule leads to the sculptor's recep-
tion-room, which also. from all sides
reminds one of his colossal work. for
besides large library. artistic cabinets
on which rest terra-cotta reproductions
of his earlier works, the busts of Mr..
William b. Evarts and Mr.. Richard
Butler. the place is filed with models of
the great statue in various sizes and
states of completion. On one side of
the room, near the garden, stands a
large glass case, which | was asked to
look into. There appears the statue and
bay in the foreground. in the back
ground panorama of New York. the
suspension bridge and Brooklyn so
faithfully represented in their local as
pect and details that New Yorker or
Brooklynite would grow home>ick TO
look at it From there one passes into
the studio. A sculptors studio is al
WAYS more severe and especially less
dainty than a painters At best, sculp-
turing is dirty work and its severity
does not admit of the thousand and
one knick knaeks that may look grace
ful and in place in a painters den. As
Clarette aptly calls sculpture. it is the
male of painting. All around on small.
carved. wood galleries are copies of
Bartholdi's works, on a pedestal stands
fine one of the Belfast Lion. which
ranks next TO the statue of Liberty in
Importance. Beyond this studio is what
might be called the sculptor's kitchen.
for it contains all the tools and imple-
ments of work. clay, plaster. and water
10 mold the artists conceptions into life
1t is in this house that the great statue
of Liberty was conceived. where il
found shape, and where its first rays
began to radiate in hope of shedding It's
light over the world.-PaTls Cor. Brook
Inn Ed0ie